Hospitals have made progress reining in infection rates, but too many patients still aren't getting the care needed to keep them safe, according to a report released today by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. At a minimum, at least 100,000 patients were left vulnerable to surgical infections between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008 because hospitals failed to follow safety practices proven to help reduce the risk of infection.
If you’re headed to the hospital for surgery, follow these safety measures to help protect yourself from infections:
- Boost your immunity before you go. If you smoke, try to quit. If you're diabetic, get your blood sugar levels under control.
- Talk to your doctors about donating your own blood if your surgery requires a transfusion.
- Insist that doctors, staff and visitors have clean hands at all times.
- Talk to your doctor about taking antibiotics before your procedure to prevent infection.
- Try to avoid taking heartburn medications with antibiotics—that combination has been shown to increase the risk of stomach infections.
- Stay warm to maintain your immune function during surgery.
- Keep an eye on your IV and catheter.
- Move around as soon as you can to prevent bed sores and blood clots, but be sure to get help and take care not to fall.
We’ve previously reported on alarming hospital infection rates and the launch of Safe Patient Project, aimed at eliminating hospital-acquired infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by making the hospital infection and error rates public, and urging lawmakers to introduce legislation to address the problem.
“Every year millions of Americans get infections while hospitalized and progress towards eliminating these infections is too slow,” said Lisa McGiffert, director of the Safe Patient Project. “As lawmakers in Washington work to reform our health care system they should require all hospitals’ to report their infection rates so consumers will be better informed and hospitals will work harder to improve patient care.” Twenty five states have already passed laws that give their residents hospital infection rates—in large part because of CU’s campaign.
Read the full report*, share your story at StopHospitalInfections.org, and find out more on how to prevent hospital infections.
*links to PDF
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